For every proud child of the 80s, The Fall Guy is right up there with Knight Rider in terms of seminal shows. I was so devoted to the show that I even toted a Fall Guy lunch box daily in my K-4 kindergarten class. Yet, for all its past success and nostalgia it inspires, The Fall Guy was one of the few remaining works from back then not to receive the reboot treatment in some way…until now.
Former stuntman turned director David Leitch has teamed up with Ryan Gosling to bring forth the film version of the 80s classic. Differentiating slightly from the TV show’s plot, the film version of The Fall Guy tells the story of a recovering stunt performer whose comeback opportunity lands him in the middle of a Hollywood murder mystery he must solve to avoid having his path back in the business canceled.
So how do the helmer of action comedies such as Bullet Train and Deadpool 2 and a star fresh of an Oscar nomination for his last comedic role fare with their take on the Lee Majors classic? If this were basketball, it would be the Philadelphia 76ers of summer movies - not good enough to be great, but not bad enough to skip.
Gosling and the stunt team are the MVPs here, and they are the sole reasons The Fall Guy is watchable. Gosling’s version of Colt Seavers is redundant to his Holland March character from 2016’s The Nice Guys. While it’s nothing new, Gosling is so damn good with comedic timing and self-deprecating wit wins you over regardless of the familiarity.
The stunt work is A1. If you’ve been to a Universal Studios stunt show, imagine it on steroids, and that’s what you get in The Fall Guy. It’s a lot of practical yet eye-popping stunts. There’s hardly a trace of, if any, green screen or CGI work aside from the “movie within the movie.” The same goes for The Fall Guy’s fights. They’re nothing special, but they are more than satisfying for a PG-13 film because they’re practical and have a lot of hand-to-hand combat.
Beyond those key pieces, The Fall Guy falls hard, primarily in the writing department. The mystery that drives the film is just too predictable. It’s easily solvable minutes into the scenes that follow the film’s introductory love letter to stunt persons. No one expects a classic noir film here, but a stronger riddle and better reveals would have gone a long way. The callbacks to the 80s, ranging from its soundtrack and some jokes, were ill-placed and felt unnecessary despite its 80s roots.
The romantic plot point is just as problematic. The chemistry between Gosling and Emily Blunt is undeniable and believable but still feels out of place. Instead of complimenting the rest of the film, how it’s written tends to throw off The Fall Guy’s rhythm as it distracts from the main point of The Fall Guy – the mystery and the stunts.
The Fall Guy isn’t the strongest start to the summer movie season, but there’s still a lot to like, thanks to Gosling and its commitment to showcasing the art of stunt work. While it suffers writing issues, Gosling’s star power and the action sequences carry The Fall Guy through.